Five... Four... Three
I cringed wanting to yell at Seto to stop the countdown but I knew he was too corrupt by a virus to break free of it and listen. I watched as the counting went from one to zero and everyone sprinted for mid opening chests or running away hoping to find chest throughout the map world Seto created.
I was tortured to watch, Seto had made a machine that held my eyes open and had a brace around my head forcing me to stare at the screens. I wanted to scream but Seto would electrocute me with the shock collar.
Your defenseless and helpless.
-------
Mitch's POV
"WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW!?" I yelled in the chaos around me as I engaged in combat with a random players realistic stone sword thats clashed with my iron sword. All around us were battles near mid as well as treasure like chests full of loot in the mid being looted. His skin was basic batman I laughed at them knowing I would win. We fought each other but we were too equally skilled to disarm the other, I let out a war cry and used all my strength to swing my sword up and swung his out of his hand. His sword clanged on the randomly built ground too far for him to run and fetch it in time. He coward at me knowing his defeat as he turned and ran but fortunately tripping over himself, I swung my sword down sinking it through his skull as he begged for mercy, but I knew this game all too well... This game had no mercy. He pixilated around my sword lighting up above my head as a fireworks display showcasing his player face... Death animation? I grunted as I picked up his sword in my other hand wielding tow swords one in each hand came in handy as I kept running. The swords dueled with others for a split second but I didn't engage in battle I needed to escape so I just kept swinging off multiple players swords and deflecting arrows that whirled from the trees.
"This is Chaos!" I yelled as another player threw herself in front of me engaging yet another battle with me as the others had. I didn't recognize her at all, no familiarities hit me so I made no hesitation at killing her. I used my two swords to trap her weapon and swung it away from her leaving her defenseless. I grinned stabbing both my swords into a player as one attempted an attack behind my back. I had no time to watch the fireworks display from their deaths. I laughed and was quick to stop as a
sensation filled my body, something I hadn't felt in a long time that I hated because of the loss of control it gave me...A blood lust, I wanted to kill people! I had to! I ran into the trees where the snippers were and killed multiple of them; at least seven hearing them scream from surprise as I chased them swinging my sword out at their ankles cutting them enough to make them fall so I could stab them and see their death animations. Yeah ok its cruel but I lost myself, the blood lust took over my brain as I took down yet another player.
"Mitch!" I snapped my head in the direction where someone had called my name... The players eyes widened at seeing me, there was no blood in this game that I could be covered in but she could probably see my sweat and likely the lust in my eyes. "Mitch don't kill me ok? I is huge fan man and I can see you're in a kill lust again so calm down. Focus on running because this is Chaos right now" I shook my head snapping out of it.
"Woah that was weird I haven't had that in a while" I said holding my head then looking at the person. She was battling another player so I couldn't see her skin too well but from what I could see through her armor... She wore a copy of my jacket but was shoulderless and was green checkered complimented with a red blood fade look, green shorts that were slightly ripped above her thighs with gold chains from her hip to mid waist, a white crop top and a halo helmet and arms. Looked pretty sick to be honest. "Thanks...." I squinted my eyes to read her gamer tag. "CANADIANBAJANGG" I smiled as he made her different colored eyes make a gesture that she was smiling through her visor. (Btw thats my character, I can have fun too). She looked like she knew this game about as well as I did and she knew what she was doing as her gear was pretty good for the start of this game. She had a chainmail boob plate and pants wielding an iron sword. While we battled our own players we chatted making an alliance or team, this wasn't a game that we knew well but we knew this game was one life only. I was temporarily distracted and she looked at me throwing off her player to the ground and stabbing them dead then throwing herself towards me. When I spun to see what she was doing a player ran at me but she got in the way of their sword blow dueling their axe. She let out a grunt then turned and looked at me.
"Mitch! ngah, Run!" She called to me and I did as she said and ran without stopping. I just kept running not looking back if she needed any help.
----
I came to a castle structure minutes later finding no one. I ran under the bridge hoping to catch my breath... Only to gasp as I dodged a stone axe thrown where my head had just been. I looked around seeing yet another player just across from me; She had thrown the axe while I tried to duck under the bridge. She had a stone axe in hand throwing it in circles menacingly with her gear being an iron boob plate and booties so her gear was better than mine. All I had was golden booties, a golden boob plate, a leather helmet and an iron sword...Although my weapon was better than her gear I guess. She ran at me at full speed, I ran knowing she had a speed potion on as she swung her axe at me. I side dived to my left missing her axes blow, instead watching it lodge it into the stone of the castle bridge. A yelp escaped from my mouth of surprise at the axes strength, the blow cracking the stone. She yanked at the stuck axe with a grunt while shooting glances at me making sure I wasn't running at her wielding a sword or weapon. Instead I stood there laughing as she continued to struggle cursing at me while doing so. I looked her over, her black locks of hair swaging with each pull, her orangy tinged brown eyes, a whitish pink cap and black fingerless gloves with a singlet and shorts. I put away one of my two swords and brung out my shield I had gotten from a chest on the way. I identified who she was and knew her as a threat; She's friends with Adam aka SkyDoesMinecraft. I gave her a glance remembering who she was... Aphmau! Her gamer tag above her was faded and barely seeable hence why I didn't identify her sooner.
"Having fun there Jess?" I asked her lowering my shield and put a hand on my hip. "Wheres your 'my street' team?" I snickered.
"Argh no" she grunted again yanking at the axe "and they're all dead" she scowled at me.
"Too bad, would let you join me but... I like playing my hunger games solo style" she scowled at me as I rolled my eyes and turned continuing to run from the chaos hoping to find any other familiar players while I had the chance. The run went for a while before I bolted into the bushes nearest me desperately needing to catch my breath while hoping to lose anyone on my tail. I turned and looked around the tree seeing Jess hadn't followed nor anyone else...I was safe. I turned my head back taking in a deep breath of relief, instead finding an arrow fly past my face into the tree I hid behind.
"Oh come on why me!?" My breathing quickened seeing the player in front of me with a large smirk as they changed their weapon to a golden sword.
"Heya Mitch"
"Oh come on don't do this Ashlee " I begged her as I felt my eyes widen and my relieved smile drop.
"Sorry Mitch, as you say 'no mercy' in hunger games" He charged at me.
"Oh for Fudge sakes! Again!?" Again I engaged in combat, the too familiar sound of swords clanging echoes the dense woods. She fought well and strong. "Wow guess your song 'Killing it' isn't true" I spat out as I struggled to keep her sword up away from me trying to upset her enough to get an advantage point.
"Hey" She snarled and dueled harder against my sword as it fell from my hand as my arm weakened from exhaustion allowing her sword to snag my jacket ripping a chunk of it off. I watched as she pulled her sword back up for another blow and on the tip I watched the fabric of my Jacket flail in the wind like a flag pissing me off.
"Hey that was my favorite jacket! Ashlee!" I snarled and pushed her back as I unexpectedly (from her behalf) dueled her sword making her off balanced giving me enough time to hit her in the stomach with the swords handle knocking her out of breath.
"Mercy?" Ashlee wheezed out with a begging grin. I frowned at her and shook my head in no. Her grin dropped and I stabbed my sword through her chest with a crack from her ribs and the squelch of stabbing into a heart. She pixelated out around my sword and the pixels flew up into the fireworks display temporarily distracting me.
"Mitch!"
"Jerome!" I squealed happily then saw he was running pretty fast.
"Ngah! stop gazing and run!" Jerome grabbed my arm and yanked me into a run with him. I was still out of breath from running pretty much this whole time I've been in this game. So much has happened in the little time I've been here for. I ran by his side as an arrow whizzed by his face sinking into a birch tree.
"What the fudge!?"
"Sorry but I have a follower so keep running because he's tanky!" his eyes indicated back as he ran beside me. I looked back seeing him, I rolled my eyes and let out a laugh seeing his peruser and the all too common outfit they wore. The classic blue gamer creeper skin and they had the worst gear in the world to be a peruser, they only wore a leather helmet and booties holding a normal bow, not enchanted to our luck. I turned back around looking in front of me as I ran letting out a laugh at Jerome's freaked face. He thinks thats tanky?
"Jerome... You think he's tanky? Dood his gear is weak" I coughed out. Jerome looked over at me then back seeing I was right. "We can easily wreck this dood"
"Ok... I feel stupid now but at some point my follower must've given up and someone else took on the chase because I could still hear running steps. Before it was a tankier guy with full chainmail while all I had is what Im wearing now" I looked Jerome over, ok he had fudging terrible gear and would be easily wrecked. I shook my head and surprise turned on the player slamming him to the ground with my sword through his chest watching him pixel like the others and his items spinning on the ground. "Woah their drops are like minecraft modded"
"Wait... Minecraft drops and items? Minecraft player-head death animations?... I think I know where we are!" I announced gasping. Jerome stared at me confused tilting his head.
"Where?" Jerome questioned. As I didn't answer as I continued to think about it.
"Minecraftia! It has to be! I thought it was just a myth!? A rumor!" I fekt proud with my realization.
"Woah no way!" Jerome replied with his jaw open.
"That explains the minecraft like rules and skins... But we look human compared to minecraft."
"Thats because we are-"
"Snipper to your left behind the oak tree!" I yelled over to Jerome cutting his sentence short. Jerome turned and set an arrow pulling it back on his bow aiming it at where I pointed my sword. The player unluckily stuck her head out at the wrong time sending it straight into the targets head. The death animation played again in fireworks displaying it was a girl with a baby skin. I rolled my eyes and turned to Jerome who watched it with me.
"Lets keep running" Jerome turned back to me as he walked forward steadily transitioning into a run. I fought so many players off today that I didn't know apart from one.
"Jerome, did you kill anyone you knew today or fight anyone? I mean I fought Aphmau and killed Ashlee" I said steadily catching up to his pace.
"Come to think of it... Yeah I did... I think it was Ryan... but gamer tags are difficult to read but he didn't speak so I had no clue." Jerome replied scratching his fuzzy chin. His whole body was covered in fur and he wore a business suit with a red tie, his minecraft skin.
"Aren't you hot being covered in fur?" I asked him.
"Hell yeah I am! I can't cool off either" Jerome made a fanning motion with his hands as we walked towards a river in the distance for a drink.
A couple of minutes later after having a drink and swimming... We decided to head back to where we were before.
"Night falls coming" I looked up at the sky seeing it darkening.
"No time to set up a camp, we will just end up being an attraction and being killed...but I did see a jungle biome that we could camp in." I nodded. He was correct, we would become more noticeable with a built camp.
"Good idea, lead the way biggums" Jerome turned sharply running towards the jungle as the sky continued to darken.
-----
Jeromes POV
Night had fallen across the jungle biome. Everything's silent apart from the odd distant out cries from victims dying to merciless murderers; luckily though for us we were in a safe place just chatting. There was really nothing much we could do right now, it was dangerous to kill at night because everything is close to pitch black in the undergrowth of this biome. Plus everyone is using it as a cover to hide in... every so often a moving shadow caught my eye from below, one time however had two shadows. One being a peruser, the other being the frightened victim running for his life... To our utter disappointment it had ended with a wailing cry. Obviously someone had lost that fight at that time. Both me and Mitch winced hearing it then seeing the fireworks light up the players skin that was too far away to clearly make out... Luckily though the victim was someone neither of us knew. Silence passed after that. We were both too deep in thought to create conversation at this time... That or we were remaining silent to make sure the killer down there wouldn't find us. It stayed like that for a while till Mitch broke the silence which I was happy about. The thoughts were getting uglier the more I overthought them of what could happen in this game.
"If we were sucked into this game... Do you think that the others were too? From the Pack?" Mitch asked me as we lay across a tree top meters from the ground, not even an arrow shot could reach this height. I thought about it, he had a point... Pretty sure I was awake and able to see someone else in the call pass out before I did... But it was confusing as it came to me like a daydream. I finished thinking about it and gave the waiting Benja his answer.
"Maybe? Just maybe, I mean if you met Aphamu on the battlefield... We could be here dealing with a youtubers hunger games" I looked over at Mitch who had his arms crossed behind his head star gazing.
"Hm, Maybe" Mitch sighed then looked at me turning his head to face me.
"What if they are or were in the game...but have died?" He asked. I rolled over to look at him, I hadn't really thought of that either. Just about how I... Well I should say we will survive because I would die inside without Mitch in my life.
"Mitch, don't think like that bud. The Pack are all pretty good PvPers, think about it" Mitch shut his eyes then opened them. "I mean yeah they will be in this game as after you passed out and before I passed out they had passed out... So I don't know too much as its fuzzy to remember."
"Yeah you're probably right-" Mitch was cut off as firework explosions echoes the biome. The sky was lit up with gamer heads.
"People who died" I said hushed, just loud enough for Mitch to hear. We watched watching for anyone we knew but saw strangers or the people Mitch said he had killed like Ashlee. I turned over to see Mitch in hysterical laughter.
"Whats so funny?" I asked him beginning to laugh a little myself.
"Ryan died" Mitch could barely finish his sentence before he bursted out laughing.
"He never was any good, I think I killed him too" I laughed. Mitch nodded as he wiped a tear away from his eye from laughing too hard. The fireworks finished minutes later showing no one else we knew well then how many players were left.
"487 players left out of 500, day one" Mitch read it out loud. "Dang thats a lot in the short time of one day, thirteen D.E.D, Rest In Pepperonis"
"Sure is buddy and yeah. Plan for tomorrow is that we need to search for better gear, food, places and try find or meet up with The Pack members ok? No man left behind... Unless they're also D.E.D before we can find them. We need our team."
"Ok fair enough" Mitch shrugged his shoulders at me.
"I know you usually go solo or its just us as Merome but this is serious, you don't go solo"
"Ok understandable fair enough... You stinkin Bacca" we fell into silence again as he gazed at the stars above us. His caramel brown eyes twinkling as they reflected the stars. Moments like these I loved and wished they could go on forever and last. But they never did.
"Hey Jerome?" Mitch questioned looking over at me setting his caramel brown eyes on me.
"Yes Mitch?" I gave him a raise of my eye brow as a gesture to continue.
"Were you staring at me just a moment ago?" Mitch went completely off topic with a laugh.
"Hehe yeah sorry. Its just... Its been a while since its been just us you know? And well... Its just nice out too" I tried to justify why but failed and instead just rubbed the back of my head in guilt with a laugh. Mitch laughed and rolled his eyes with a side grin and continued with his first topic.
"Do you or have you wondered what happens to us... Well sorry the people... when they die in this game?" Mitch asked. I had sometimes today thought about it but never deeply thought about it because I was mostly running or fighting.
"Those things are better unknown for now ok?" I answered him. He stared at me then nodded in approval.
"Ok you Stinkin' Bacca" Mitch laughed. I rolled my eyes with a laugh.
"We will find out later though... Eventually, but thats not our top priority right now" I said. Mitch snorted frustrated but was quick to change his mood as he turned his head to look at me finding my eyes narrowed annoyed at him for that gesture. He looked down away from me and apologized as he shuffled closer to me in the gorilla like bed we had made in the tree top laying his head on my shoulder. This bed created a protection from peoples views, safety from falling out and was more comfortable than sitting in or on a branch... And who knows, if this is anything like minecraft... There will likely be mobs or a Boss to kill anyone stupid enough to remain killing at night. I put an arm around his back pulling him closer as I placed a kiss on his head telling him its ok and that we will win this game together. He smiled with a little giggle then shut his eyes falling asleep. I decided to keep watch of him tonight for a little then sleep. The shadows continued to move below us with the odd shadow of a figure running through the shadows in and out of the darkness. I took a deep long sniff of air in that smelt of smoke from the fireworks showing who had died, but it didn't bother me massively as cooked fish does, the filthy things that they are.
----
Hours passed before I felt tired enough to sleep and decided to give in for the night. I yawned and stretched a little luckily not waking Mitch who was asleep uncomfortably on my arm. I slowly but gently moved my arm out from under him and retracting it with the slight pain I felt. I know Mitch wasn't the deepest sleeper but he wasn't the lightest sleeper either... Hence why he didn't wake up during the video when we were having a nerf war. When I was walking up the stairs at the house from real life with a nerf gun but woke up when I shot him accidentally in the eye. To this day that moment still makes me laugh, I had never intended to shoot him in the eye but I will still take it as a head shot.
I shut my eyes and drifted off into the darkness of sleep that I needed after this long, chaotic day.
----
The next day I woke up to Mitch missing beside me. I shot up at searched around the area frantically searching for Mitch from where I was in the tree bed. I heard a low singing voice from below me as I went to shout his name over the side and leaned over the edge catching a glimpse of Mitch's jacket on the branch slightly but close to the opposite side of the tree to me. Shards of wood dropping to the ground below where he was obviously sharpening a branch or something wooden. I listened to the words he sung trying to figure out the song but it took a while and he finished singing it... Only to then start sing it again.
"Im building our home, On Enstone, like alone... Minecrafter~.
Staring at you, from afar~ in the end, the dragons den~"
"Hmm" I said quietly to myself thinking them over. 'On Endstone' a minecraft sing ok.
He sung louder and more emotionally. "Still there's nothing, I wouldn't do, to trade places with you. The sound of canons drum, we scare tributes and run."I identified it and sung along with him getting his attention.
"To carry our love~ to the Endstone. We want to bash some skulls, until our axes dull, remember our love, in the Endstone"
He walked over to a branch closer to me so I could see him and and looked up at me looking me in the eyes with his caramel brown eyes that I adored with the mischievous smile he wore when we were having fun. He slid down the tree. We continued to sing louder and his singing voice came out clearer sounding more like the song... But I stooped because I only knew the chorus letting him take the lead as he had sung it in the first place.
"We can't escape, from our fate, All alone, without my bro." He shut his eyes and looked away from me leaning his head against the tree then looking at his hands with tears in his eyes.
"The nightmares, of the time~ I chopped you, that deathmatch." Mitch looked up at me with guilt on his face. My smile dropped at the fact that that verse had hurt him.
"Mitch its ok we would of screwed the game up-" I tried comforting him but he continued singing ignoring it but still looking up at me with tears in his eyes but his voice wasn't badly shaky yet.
"Still theres nothing, I wouldn't do. To trade places with you... The zombies chase, we run." He looked to his side towards the biome off in the distance. "We're scared this is not fun." Mitch looked at me again swirling his finger in the air telling me he meant the game. "We carry our love, to the Endstone." He stood up and swung on branches back up to where I was pausing his singing as he took my hands in his looking me in the eyes yet again. I stared into them seeing the hurt in his eyes.
He continued singing again. "Prepare for launch right now, the Dragon knew but how? " This song always had made him emotional at the thought of losing me and to be honest it pained me hearing it too but he loved singing it. "Remember our love~ in the Endstone. Its time to get away, and start a new home, and I'm ready to take off with you, yeah were going far away" Mitch began to cry and his singing voice stopped and he gave up singing and fell into my chest crying.
"Oh M-Mitch don't cry its just a song"
"But Jerome...Were in a game that could be the same thing as the song" He cried into my chest making it muffled. I forgot about that... I sighed and pulled him into my chest.
"I know Mitch and we will make it and if its the one victor then we do a Katniss and Peter, agreed?" I reached my hand out in a gesture of a deal. Mitch hesitated then shook my hand firmly.
-------
Mitch POV
After I had my cry from the reality of this game, we had slid down the tree and foraged for loot finding some uncollected dropped gear from others kills. We now both wore full chain and Iron swords with a bow and shield. There were a lot of hidden chests in this game which was to our advantage. We had only fought one challenger so far in the last... Uh... I don't know honestly... This game was weird with times as watched spun out of control anti-clockwise. We left the biome likely to come back at night again but right now we needed to put our plan into action. The first part of the plan was complete of getting food and better gear upgrades. Now we just need to meet or find at least one member of The Pack to have stage one of the Plan complete.
We entered the castle build I had been in earlier in the map when I had met up with Aphmau... We both thought that maybe Vikk or Lachlan would be there. We entered the castles main foyer that was strangely quiet but the further we walked in... The more the castle displayed evidence of battles with all the arrows and swords spread across the floor or in walls and broken weapons everywhere.
"Jerome somethings not right" I said as a bad feeling consumed my gut. I looked around then spotted a figure sitting on the throne swing a sword in his hand. He looked down seeing us but didn't say a word, instead standing up and walking towards us down the stairs.
"Jerome..." I bumped him in the arm with my elbow getting his attention. His pupils narrowed in fear.
Suddenly the player flew at me with speed that I was quick to dodge his sword. He flew straight into a wall face first making me laugh.
"Don't do speed you noob if you can't handle it" Jerome laughed. The player turned back to us red faced in anger. Our laughter and smiles dropped.
"Were fucked...." I announced as he chased after us with two iron swords. He wore no gear making it suspicious that he hadn't been killed yet.
"Mitch help me!" Jerome yelled as another player was on him while I was being chased by the player from the throne.
"A little busy bacca" I called as I began losing my stability and he dueled my sword. He pushed against my sword and I shoved him back. He grinned and power moved the sword out of my hands sending it hurtling to the ground. He turned from watching my sword to looking at me with a massive grin. His skin he wore in this realistic yet minecraft like land was a pale skinned human with a black jersey and yellow flames. Black hair over his black pupil eyes. His skin indicated to me that something was off. I turned my head hearing Jerome grunt killing his player with his sword as it stabbed through the player and into the dirt. My sword clatter across the floor all the way next to Jerome getting his attention as the player pinned me down. Jerome didn't say a word only steadied his aim on the player with his enchanted bow. He sent an arrow flying hitting the player in the head getting their attention... I waited for them to pixel but they didn't, my brain tried to work out why...Then it hit me.
"JEROME ITS A HACKER!"